1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to floating marker buoys.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are other marker buoy devices designed for marking a nautical location. Typical of these is U.S. Pat. No. 222,215 issued to Wardwell on Dec. 2, 1879.
Another patent was issued to Timmans on Nov. 5, 1895 as U.S. Pat. No. 549,281. Yet another U.S. Pat. No. 832,881 was issued to Skinner et al. on Oct. 9, 1906 and still yet another was issued on May 4, 1915 to Nixon as U.S. Pat. No. 1,137,782.
Another patent was issued to Johnson et al on Nov. 28, 1916 as U.S. Pat. No. 1,206,713. Another patent was issued to Saulnier et al. on Oct. 18, 1988 as U.S. Pat. No. 4,778,422. Another patent was issued to Noggle on Feb. 11, 1992 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,216. Another patent was issued to Keller on Feb. 23, 1993 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,551. Another patent was issued to Balstad on Oct. 26, 1993 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,256,093. Another patent was issued to Forrest on Dec. 27, 1994 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,376,035. Another patent was issued to Kellner et al. on Sept. 7, 1999 as U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,780. Another patent was issued to Mercer on Sep. 26, 2000 as U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,593.
A sunken vessel indicator having its case provided with the tubular standard and its float provided with the line, and perforated or furnished with the tube to receive the said standard.
A buoy for indicating marine wrecks having a sealed chamber provided with an intoning device, and a line for securing the buoy to the wreck in combination with a telescope casing surrounding the line.
A buoy comprising a body divided along its longitudinal axis into separable sections, a reel detachably mounted in recesses in the meeting faces of the sections and having an axle the opposite ends of which project beyond the ends of the reel into bearing-sockets in said meeting faces, and a cable wound on said reel and passing through an opening in one of the said meeting faces, the buoy sections being connected by a hinge the axis of which is disposed lengthwise of the sections, substantially as described.
A device comprising a body converging toward its lower end, a cap fixed upon the upper portion of the body, a ballast member positioned within the lower portion of the body whereby the body will be held in its correct vertical position, signaling means carried above the cap, whereby the signaling means will be held above the water, and means yieldably connecting a cable to the lower portion of the body, the cable adapted to be connected to a vessel whereby when a vessel sinks the body may float and allow the cable to engage a vessel whereby the location of the vessel may be determined, and the yieldable means adapted to prevent the breaking of the cable.
A signal for locating a vessel after it is sunk including a buoy adapted to float upon the water, the buoy being provided with a substantially V-shaped base, a cradle mounted upon the vessel and provided with a substantially V-shaped seat upon which the V-shaped base of the buoy is adapted to removably rest under normal conditions, the V-shaped seat being provided on opposite sides thereof with upstanding flanges to prevent the buoy from jarring or slipping out of the cradle, and means for anchoring the buoy to the sunken vessel to prevent the buoy from drifting.
A buoy for storing rope connected to an underwater article such as a lobster pot, comprises a buoyant casing having two side portions connected together and a reel rotatably mounted between the side portions and carrying a length of rope, one or both outer ends of which are connectable to the lobster pot or the like article. A central portion of one end of the reel is accessible from a side of the buoy through the adjacent casing side portion, and this one end has a non-circular configuration adapted to be engaged by a winding device such as a so-called xe2x80x9cpot-haulerxe2x80x9d. The side portions may be connected together by posts. An end of rope may be connected to the reel by a swivel link so that when the rope is fully paid out the buoy can remain on the surface of the water and can rotate relative to the rope. The buoy is preferably made with two identical side portions of plastics material, and may have rigid molded buoyant foam material held between the side portions.
A marker buoy adapted to be held in the hand and thrown on the surface of a body of water to mark a location beneath the surface, comprises a thin, hollow, water-tight box with a concentric aperture through the thickness dimension of the box. The box is constructed of upper and lower concave shells which are mirror symmetric through the medial transverse plane of the box, where the two shells are bonded to one another. Recesses formed between internal walls within the shells hold a reel assembly have a take-up spool located in the aperture, and a crankshaft fitted with a handle protruding through a side of the box. A flexible cord is attached to the take-up spool and wound around the spool by turning the crankshaft handle. The other end of the cord is attached to an anchor weight.
A marker device for fishermen including a body or flotation portion made from a transparent, plastic bottle. A sheet of brightly colored fluorescent or retroreflective paper lines the inside of the bottle, making the marker highly visible. A threaded cap is secured to the core or bottom end of a spool, about which an anchor line is wound. The spool has upper and lower flanges, and the anchor line is secured to the upper flange. An anchor weight is secured to the free end of the anchor line, the anchor weight being a strip of malleable lead that may be formed to bend around the anchor line wound on the spool when not in use. Further, a counterweight is contained within the bottom portion of the spool opposite the bottle, causing the marker to stand upright in the water. After the marker has been set in the water and the anchor weight has sunk to the bottom of the lake or stream, the anchor line may be threaded through a slot in the lower flange of the spool, preventing additional anchor line from being paid out from the spool.
A lightweight plastic buoy with an elastic shock cord attached to the nylon line and lead weight. Included in the buoy is a plastic spool attached to a metal shaft and crank in a housing. A plastic pin is attached to a foam float. They are found in a housing near the bottom of the buoy and are moved via the admittance of water into the float chamber through an orifice in the bottom cap. The pin forces a lock into notches in the spool which inhibits its motion. A rubber-strap governor is in contact with the top of the spool controlling its velocity to eliminate the tangling of excessive line released from the spool.
The invention discloses a highly visible marker buoy of the self-setting type the anchor line of which may be power wound to facilitate retrieval of the buoy after use; the marker buoy is equipped with spin indicators to prove that the anchor line is descending to the bottom of a body of water; fluorescent and phosphorescent materials are provided to increase both daytime and nighttime visibility.
A marker for use by boaters to mark spots in a body of water includes a watertight, hollow cylindrical main body that floats and which serves as a buoy member. The main body is capped at its opposite ends by end caps that are apertured. An elongate hollow tube is positioned within the hollow interior of the cylindrical main body so that it extends between the apertures. A spool member having a preselected length of line coiled thereabout is rotatably mounted atop the upper end cap and line extends from the spool through the interior of the hollow tube to the bottom of the body of water when the marker is in use, there being a weight at the free end of the line. Beads of progressively larger size relative to the free end of the line are secured to the line, each bead being positioned at a preselected length of the line that represents a particular water depth. A slide plate is slidably mounted to the bottom end cap in alignment with the hollow interior of the tube and bores of differing sizes are formed in the slide plate, each size corresponding to a bead and being slightly smaller than its corresponding bead to prevent its passage through the slide plate. The user aligns a preselected bore, representing a known water depth, with the hollow interior of the tube and unreels the line until a bead is stopped from passing through its associated bore.
A highly visible container protected polyurethane foam flotation buoy, with a transparent polycarbonate housing enclosing a plastic line spool which is supported by a stainless steel axle which has a stainless steel rewind handle, with nylon roller, and a adjustable nylon brake assembly. Housing is secured to bottom of flotation buoy, housing assembly and spool assembly which are used in the deployment and take up of anchor and anchor line comprises complete flotation unit. Anchor is a five pound steel core enclosed in PVC with a stainless steel connection bolt. In use anchor will have descended to bottom and buoy will be on top surface of water connected by anchor line and will not drift off marked spot.
While these marker buoys may be suitable for the purposes for which they were designed, they would not be as suitable for the purposes of the present invention, as hereinafter described. It is thus desirable to provide a multi-purpose flotation buoy device.
A primary object of the present invention is to provide a marker buoy constructed of material highly resistant to rust and corrosion, thereby giving the marker buoy a long life in a harsh marine environment.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a marker buoy having a reel assembly with a coil spring, line spool and crank handle.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a marker buoy consisting of a coil spring to maintain line tension providing a more accurate marking of the area by regulating the extension and retraction of excess line.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a marker buoy having a clear dome compartment for inserting a glow stick therein.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a marker buoy that is easy to operate and use, constructed of material highly resistant to rust and corrosion.
Additional objects of the present invention will appear as the description proceeds.
The present invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a marker buoy having means for indicating or locating wrecked or sunken vessels, designating channels, and for various other purposes for which location of a nautical position is required.
The marker buoy of the present invention consists of a polyurethane foam housing enclosing a line spool, supported by a stainless steel axle, having a stainless steel rewind handle and a stainless steel coil spring.
The top portion of the housing consists of a transparent dome housing a glow stick tube for easy location of the device at night. The glow stick tube also assists in locating the device at night or in a fog condition. A glow stick is inserted into the tube and the cap replaced. When the glow stick is spent, a replacement stick may easily replace it.
Furthermore, the glow stick tube may be replaced by a light with an internal power source.
The coil spring functions by exerting a pull on the line when the sinker is dropped. The pull exerted on the line between the buoy and sinker is enough to produce sufficient line tension to keep the marker buoy in the appropriate proximity. The coil spring also allows the release and retraction of line to compensate the rise and fall of tides, or any other disturbance while maintaining line tension between the buoy and sinker weight.
The marker buoy of the present invention is constructed of material highly resistant to rust and corrosion, thereby giving the marker buoy a long life span in a harsh marine environment.
A marker buoy is provided for winding and rewinding a flexible line attachable to an underwater object such as an anchor, comprising: a buoyant housing, the housing having a bottom, the housing bottom having an opening; a reel assembly within the housing having: a shaft having a first end and a second end, the shaft first end protruding through the housing; a handle attached to the shaft first end for rotating the shaft; a spool joined to the shaft second end for rotation as the shaft rotates, the spool being adapted for winding and unwinding the flexible line thereon, the line entering the housing through the housing bottom opening; and a coil spring having a first end and a second end, the coil spring first end being fixedly attached to the housing, the coil spring second end being attached to the spool such that the coil spring is wound when the line is being unwound, and released when the line is being wound back on to the spool.
In another embodiment, the device further comprises a light assembly, the light assembly having a water-tight interior and a light source positioned within the water-tight interior, the light assembly being attached to the housing, the light assembly further being at least partially transparent.
In another embodiment, the housing also has a top, the top having an opening, the light assembly further comprises a separation member received by the housing top and an at least partially transparent covering member, the covering member being attached over the separation member and to the housing top such that the separation member seals the housing top opening, and the light source is attached to the separation member.
In another embodiment, the covering member is dome-shaped.
In another embodiment, the light source further comprises a light-emitting member.
In another embodiment, the light-emitting member is stick-shaped.
In another embodiment, the light source further comprises a battery-powered lamp assembly.
In another embodiment, the light source further comprises a light stick tube, the light stick tube containing a light stick.
In another embodiment, the light stick tube is watertight.
In another embodiment, the coil spring force, when the coil spring is wound, is less than the opposing vertical buoyant force of the water on the device.
In another embodiment, the housing further comprises a flotation ring.
In another embodiment, a marker buoy is provided for winding and rewinding a flexible line attachable to an underwater object such as an anchor, comprising: a buoyant housing, the housing having a bottom, the housing bottom having an opening; a reel assembly within the housing having: a shaft having a first end and a second end, the shaft first end protruding through the housing; a handle attached to the shaft first end for rotating the shaft; a spool joined to the shaft second end for rotation as the shaft rotates, the spool being adapted for winding and unwinding a flexible line thereon, the line entering the housing through the housing bottom opening; a first gear and a second gear, the second gear being larger than the first, the first gear being positioned on the spool such that the first gear rotates as the shaft is rotated, the second gear being positioned for rotation by the first gear; and a coil spring having a first end and a second end, the coil spring first end being fixedly attached to the housing, the coil spring second end being attached to the second gear such that the coil spring is wound when the line is being unwound, and released when the line is being wound back on to the spool.
In another embodiment the device farther comprises a light assembly, the light assembly having a water-tight interior and a light source positioned within the water-tight interior, the light assembly being attached to the housing, the light assembly further being at least partially transparent.
In another embodiment, the housing also has a top, the top having an opening, the light assembly further comprises a separation member received by the housing top and an at least partially transparent covering member, the covering member being attached over the separation member and to the housing top such that the separation member seals the housing top opening, and the light source is attached to the separation member.
In another embodiment, the covering member is dome-shaped.
In another embodiment, the light source further comprises a light-emitting member.
In another embodiment, the light-emitting member is stick-shaped.
In another embodiment, herein the light source further comprises a battery-powered lamp assembly.
In another embodiment, the light source further comprises a light stick tube, the light stick tube containing a light stick.
In another embodiment, the light stick tube is watertight.
In another embodiment, the coil spring force, when the coil spring is wound, is less than the opposing vertical buoyant force of the water on the device.
In another embodiment, the housing further comprises a flotation ring.
In another embodiment, a marker buoy is provided, comprising: a buoyant housing, the housing having a bottom, the housing bottom having an opening; a flexible line; a weighted member attached to the flexible line; a reel assembly within the housing having: a shaft having a first end and a second end, the shaft first end protruding through the housing; a handle attached to the shaft first end for rotating the shaft; a spool joined to the shaft second end for rotation as the shaft rotates, the spool being adapted for winding and unwinding the flexible line thereon, the line entering the housing through the housing bottom opening; a first gear and a second gear, the second gear being larger than the first, the first gear being positioned on the spool such that the first gear rotates as the shaft is rotated, the second gear being positioned for rotation by the first gear; and a coil spring having a first end and a second end, the coil spring first end being attached to the housing, the coil spring second end being fixedly attached to the spool such that the coil spring is wound when the line is being unwound, and released when the line is being wound back on to the spool.
In another embodiment, the device further comprises a light assembly, the light assembly having a water-tight interior and a light source positioned within the water-tight interior, the light assembly being attached to the housing, the light assembly further being at least partially transparent.
In another embodiment, the coil spring force, when the coil spring is wound, is less than the opposing vertical buoyant force of the water on the device.
In another embodiment, the housing further comprises a flotation ring.
A marker buoy is provided, comprising: a buoyant housing, the housing having a bottom, the housing bottom having an opening; and means for winding and unwinding a flexible line, the means being positioned within the housing, the line exiting the housing through the housing bottom opening.
In another embodiment, the device further comprises means for emitting light.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages will appear from the description to follow. In the description reference is made to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. These embodiments will be described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that structural changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention. In the accompanying drawing, like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.
The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present invention is best defined by the appended claims.